“This will be the last time UAE allow it” - Alberto Contador weighs in on Juan Ayuso's controversial lack of teamwork at La Vuelta

As the 2025 Vuelta a Espana pauses for its first rest day, the peloton isn't short of talking points — but none more debated than Juan Ayuso’s puzzling performance on Stage 9 to Valdezcaray. The Spanish prodigy surprisingly dropped out of contention even before the final climb began, leaving Joao Almeida isolated and vulnerable. It was an opening Jonas Vingegaard needed no invitation to exploit, launching a stinging early attack and carving time into his GC rivals — chief among them, the UAE Team Emirates duo.

The fallout from that stage has reverberated across the cycling world, with two-time Vuelta winner and Eurosport analyst Alberto Contador adding his voice to the growing debate. In his post-stage analysis, Contador did not hold back. “The image that shocked everyone came just before the climb,” Contador said. “Ayuso sat up deliberately, clearly saving his legs — perhaps with an eye on future stage wins. But in doing so, he left Almeida completely exposed.”

It wasn’t just Ayuso missing in action. Neither Marc Soler nor Jay Vine contributed meaningfully on the ascent, but the brunt of criticism has focused on Ayuso — especially in light of his recent stage win. The expectation was that he, more than anyone, would step up in support of Almeida. Instead, questions now swirl about internal discord within UAE.

“During the stage, it became painfully obvious that UAE was absent when it mattered most,” Contador continued. “Ayuso, in particular. Why did he sit up? No one expected that. I suspect this will be the last time he’s allowed to make that kind of decision.”

The controversy has only added fuel to speculation about a deeper rift between Ayuso and the team — a fracture that’s been quietly growing over the past year. With strong rumours linking the 22-year-old to Lidl-Trek for 2026, some see Sunday’s events as symptomatic of a breakdown in trust.

For Contador, however, the responsibility doesn’t lie solely with the rider. “It’s easy to point fingers at Ayuso, but he’s part of a team, and that team has directors who are meant to give clear orders,” he said. “If he had the legs to stay in the group and didn’t, that’s not just on him — it’s a failure in communication from the team car.”

Still, the true nature of Ayuso’s physical condition remains uncertain, and UAE have yet to provide clarity. But in the vacuum of information, speculation thrives. “What’s undeniable,” Contador concluded, “is that this episode will only deepen the sense of unease that’s clearly brewing within the team.”